Bennett Murray | Publication date 25 November
2014 | 00:00 ICT Dato’ R Rajendran presents Luu Meng
with his award on Thursday night in Kuala Lumpur. Chhim Sreyneang Cambodian cuisine scored a double
victory last week when local chef Luu Meng was declared Asia’s best chef in
Kuala Lumpur on Friday, a day after it was announced that the Kingdom’s rice
was named the world’s best. Meng’s award, issued by
Malaysia-based business and lifestyle sister magazines Top10 of Malaysia
and Top10 of Asia at its second annual corporate ball, was given to Meng
for being the “best of the best” in the Asian culinary world. “We researched, studied and compared
[to find] the top people from every industry,” said Dato’ R Rajendran, chief
executive officer of Top10 parent company RHA Media, adding that Meng was the
only chef honoured at the ball. Hak Lina, president of the Cambodian
Restaurant Association and general manager at Topaz restaurant, said Meng’s
victory in Kuala Lumpur is a step forward for Cambodi…

Top: Maguro and Mekajiki Shoyu Zuke. Center: Braised Abalone with Wild Black Rice.Darren GallSevensea
is the latest culinary concept of Cambodia’s most accomplished and
celebrated chef, Luu Meng. Its aim is to combine popular Asian cooking
styles with the finest seafood available.

Specializing in
Cambodian, Chinese and Japanese seafood, the restaurant recently opened
at the new Almond Bassac Hotel, which sits in a quiet street on the
south-west back corner of the Sofitel Hotel property, on the banks of
the Bassac River, just before you cross the Rainbow Bridge to Koh Pich.

I must confess here to being friends with Luu Meng – we have a shared
interest in developing the hospitality industry in Cambodia. He explains
that the curious spelling of the name has something to do with getting
the business registered in time. However, it does indeed refer to the
legend of “The Seven Seas,” as sailed by Odysseus, Jason and his
Argonauts, and Sinbad.